Circumcision in the 21st Century

Judaism is not a market driven religion.

It’s easy to dismiss the supporters of a November ballot initiative in San Francisco to make it “unlawful to circumcise, excise, cut, or mutilate the whole or any part of the foreskin, testicles, or penis of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years.” Like all true believers, these “intactivists” engage in junk science and exaggerated rhetoric about “male genital mutilation”. Further discrediting the anti-circumcision cause is the fact that the movement’s leadership peddles propaganda that borders on the anti-Semitic, such as the anti-circumcision comic book “Foreskin Man”, which reads like a sophomoric plagiary of a superhero cartoon and Der Sturmer. One could imagine that after November the intactivist movement will quickly pass from center stage. But that would be a mistake.

Circumcision is unsettling. As the actor Russell Crowe wrote on Twitter: "I love my Jewish friends, I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats but stop cutting yr babies." Despite the politically incorrect tone, Crowe makes it clear why the anti-circumcision movement is here to stay: circumcisions are bloody and make babies cry. Even the committed among us are uncomfortable, and most of us look down nervously when the mohel begins the ceremony. It’s painful to enter the Covenant of Abraham.

In the past, circumcision was considered attractive because of its health benefits, and even many non-Jews were routinely circumcised. Today, it’s debatable if circumcision’s health benefits warrant it being a standard procedure. Without a clear medical rationale, non-Jews will stop circumcising their children, and marginally affiliated Jews are sure to follow. The Jewish community can no longer rely on doctors to do the mohel’s job, and regardless of the outcome in San Francisco, it will be a lot harder to convince apathetic Jewish parents to perform circumcisions. Why would any parent want to endure the blood, pain and tears of their baby’s circumcision for no reason?

Circumcision is incompatible with the times, as is much of Judaism. Jews should be proud of how different we are.

In short, circumcision is a marketing nightmare; outside of a deep commitment to Judaism, there’s no good reason to do them. This point is significant, because the Jewish community is intoxicated with marketing. Federations commission countless surveys to find out what young Jews want. Jewish professionals search for ways to make their programs “hipper”. The almighty “social media” must be deployed in the battle for the hearts of the younger members of the tribe. Grant money flows liberally to market driven, cutting edge, jargon laden programs with a social media presence.

I can’t argue against good marketing; representatives of a religion that has prized ideas should be able to communicate well. But there’s a thin line between marketing well and being “market driven”. The market driven vision believes that the customer is always right. So if it’s Yiddish or yoga or Jewish jokes that turn young Jews on, let’s pour community resources into a Yiddish Yoga Yuckfest. (With bagels, lox and cream cheese, of course). Instead of challenging young Jews, a market driven vision of Judaism seeks to produce a 21st century Judaism that will make our customers happy.

But here comes the problem. Aspects of Judaism like circumcision will always be unpopular in customer surveys. If we leave the future of Judaism in the hands of marketing experts, challenging rituals like circumcision or Passover or Yom Kippur will be ignored, and we will end up with a smooth syncretistic mumbo jumbo that has no resemblance to our 3,000 year old tradition.

I’m a modern Orthodox rabbi who talks a great deal about the place of Judaism in the 21st century. But increasingly I’ve come to realize that circumcision is incompatible with the times, as is much of Judaism. But Jews should be proud of how different we are. In an era of unprecedented individualism and hedonism, Jews declare that community is critical, even for an eight day old baby. We take pride in a ritual that affirms that sexual desire is not meant to be left unrestrained, but must be shaped by values of fidelity and devotion. When others seek endless comfort, we are willing to say that doing the right thing might be painful, but it’s still worthwhile.

Over the years, I’ve met inspiring people from the Former Soviet Union who performed circumcisions under heroic circumstances. Defying the Communist dictatorship, they would huddle surreptitiously and perform the covenant of Abraham on children of varying ages. The amazing thing is that these Jews in the FSU had no Jewish education whatsoever. But even with only a rudimentary knowledge of Judaism, they understood that being Jewish means going against the current, and being Jewish requires personal sacrifice.

Even though North American Jews enjoy freedom and prosperity, we need to explain to young Jews that they too have to be willing to defy the spirit of the times to be Jewish. After all, Judaism is more than apples, honey and funny little hats.

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Visitor Comments: 27

(18)
Anonymous,
July 3, 2012 5:05 PM

Circumcision

I was surprised when my husband who passed away at 81 years of age about his circumcision and his Father wanted this done. We were not married at that time we were engaged. We are not Jewish but both of us agreed with circumcision. My good doctor wanted to know if we had a son would we want circumcision and I said yes knowing my husband would want this just like I did. Of course the baby boy will be sore for a while and this is taken care of. There are enough reasons to have this done if a couple wished to have this done. My son is 44 years old now. This is why I do not want my name to be displayed. No one has the right to tell the Jewish people or others not to do this at all! Don't they read to see the benifits? I am with the Jewish people and others and not those people!

(17)
edson,
July 17, 2011 9:24 PM

judaism has be respected

the tradition is realy important, i am not jew i am jessenio,and i understand that the important matter is the tradition,the tradition,the tradition.

(16)
Anonymous,
July 17, 2011 3:14 AM

Last November, we were given the choice by the hospital in which my children were born (and were patients in the NICU) to have our son circumcised while undergoing surgery for something else. Although it was not the bris I imagined, my son was a preemie, and, it being cold and flu season, we wanted him to undergo this important religious ceremony while not being exposed to germs via a celebration. Our solution was thus: we said yes to the circumcision, and, right before the surgery, my father-in-law, a rabbi, said the required prayers and blessings, and named our son.
Was it a highly unorthodox bris? Yes. Is my son any less Jewish? In my eyes, no. He and his twin sister (who was later named in a joint Simchat Chai'im) are being brought up in a Jewish home, where we celebrate the Jewish holidays. They will have a Jewish education, attend Jewish camps, become B'nai Mitzvot, and hopefully feel the need, as we did, to marry Jews and raise their own children Jewish.
We must educate those as to the health benefits that Hashem has wisely commanded us to follow through circumcision, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and sustainable planet. We are not mutilists.

(15)
Harold,
July 12, 2011 12:41 AM

Terrible article!

Okay; he says (or admits) that brit milah may not be consistent with today's secular values. But nowhere in the article does he give the authentic, positive reasons for doing it! All he says is that it makes us different, and it "affirms that sexual desire is not meant to be left unrestrained", and "we are willing to say that doing the right thing might be painful, but it’s still worthwhile". But other rituals already affirm these things. You don't need circumcision to accomplish them.!

Anonymous,
June 10, 2014 7:30 PM

missing the point

We don't do brit milah just to affirm "these things." When it comes down to it, we do brit milah because Gd commanded us to. Period.

(14)
Alp,
July 8, 2011 2:21 PM

Glad that at least your wrote about this

But you missed and important point this is government legislating against Judaism. It is definitely a hostile anti -Semitic act against the Jewish People....the Jewish community should be in uproar but it is almost not worthy any significant conversation here....it is an egregious infringement on religious freedom...what next? When do we care?

(13)
shoshana,
July 7, 2011 9:49 PM

brit milah

the first time I went to a brit I was scared; I thought the baby would cry non stop. Nope! The baby cried a little during the procedure, then stopped. The Mama was crying more than the baby!

(12)
Bob Rabinoff,
July 5, 2011 7:44 PM

Marketing

Paul of Tarsus was the greatest marketing genius in history. He peddled Xtianity as "Judaism Lite" -- no need for pain or mesirut nefesh -- and took over the world. Unfortunately one need only look at the results to see what happens when you adulterate the tradition.

(11)
LillyNussbaum Tobin,
July 5, 2011 6:08 AM

Jewish intactivists driven by self-hatred and contempt.

To have this very passionate drive to make circumcision unlawful is suspect as to motives. This is a resurrection of assimilated Jews living under the dominant Greek culture and rejecting ritual circumcision. Going so far as trying to reverse their own and thereby becoming no different from the pagans of their time, whose emphasis in life was beauty of form. Very superficial and the antithesis of any spiritual belief system. Although opinions in the scientific community may not be unanymous it has health benefits - less cervical cancer, AIDS, etc........

(10)
Robert M. Miller, MD,
July 4, 2011 11:34 PM

circumcision is healthier, and preferred by women.

In my 49 years as a dermatologist I have often seen uncircumcised men with inflammatory, and malignancy problems on the glans penis. This is extremely rare in circumcised men.

(9)
Anonymous,
July 4, 2011 10:39 PM

must it be painful?

i'm a jewish mother, have had 2 boys , went thru the brit milah, thank G. but wonder if we're not allowed to do it without pain? we have epidurals so that we no longer feel the pain of birth, it's totally halachically allowed, so why not something for baby boys going thru this? no halachic leniencies?

(8)
Yochi Eisnet,
July 4, 2011 2:27 PM

Stop comparing Yiddishket to visits to the dentist

Here, here to Jossef!!! I agree completely! I guess I no longer know what 'modern orthodox' means – but you call yourself a rabbi and then make statements like you've "… come to realize that circumcision is incompatible with the times, as is much of Judaism" . Perhaps you are in the wrong business!
We don't need to market or sell Judaism – at least we don't need to do it with Yiddishkeit. We are who we are and this is our religion. Many aspects of Jewish law have developed and adjusted as the world around us changed – an easy example is how we have dealt with the advent of electricity and keeping Shabbat. But we keep the same 613 mitzvot we always did. This means that we deal with the world through our terms – not change or strip it to make it more palatable for non-practicing Jews and the gentile world.
We fulfill the mitzvah of brit milah because it is a commandment, not because it is medically healthy or unhealthy, psychologically good or not good. And do you know why, Rabbi? Because medicine, psychology and politics – they are all driven by fads. Today we except acupuncture along with chemotherapy; we accept 'natural child birth', when a mere 40-50 years ago a drugless birth was looked at as causing unnecessary pain to the mother and more trouble for her obstetrician. Tomorrow we will discover new techniques or reinvent old ones.
But you are right about one thing, this issue will not go away. However, telling inspiring stories about Jews keeping their faith in the former Soviet Union and during the Shoah for that matter, is not going to make the difference. Do you know why? Because when you make this mitzvah or any other mitzvah into a sacrifice or a hardship, then all your young people will want to do is leave that 'burden' on the next corner and run as far away as possible. Since when does "… being Jewish require personal sacrifice"? Stop comparing Yiddishket to visits to the dentist and start making it a lifestyle we enjoy 24-7.

Alex,
July 5, 2011 9:08 PM

Please re-read, you are repeating his points.

Yochi,
Please re-read the article. You are simply repeating the Rabbi's points. His point was that there is no point marketing Yiddishkeit, especially since it's not marketable anyway.

(7)
Jossef,
July 4, 2011 1:55 AM

Those who bother to read Russel Crowe's Tweets desrve his nonsense

For the life of me I cannot understand how Jews (let alone Rabbis) bother to react to what Russel Crowe (or celebrities of his level of intelegence) have to say about anything, let alone Judaism. What we see here is an example the downside of living in a society that guarantees free speech; people who are not highly educated, like Russel Crowe can shoot off their mouth and express opinions without educating themselves on the subject. We know that we have a problem in this country, that large number of people (with the media's help) pay attention to what Hollyhood celebrities (most of whom are not the sharpest knives in the drawer) think about politics or any subject other than entertainment. We Jews need not get down to that level and quote the likes of Russel Crowe (who probably drink the same coolaid as his Ausie friend Mel Gibson) in our reaction to a serious threat like this San Francisco ban.

Sarah Dinah,
July 13, 2011 10:06 PM

I am so tired of non-Jews telling us what to do

I have friends who think that lighting Shabbos candles is "sweet" but when I tell them that there is a certain time after which I am forbidden to light, "they" tell "me" that this is "ridiculous." What right do non-Jews have to tell us what to do or not do? What real interest does Russell Crowe have in what Jews do? Why would anyone care what he had to say? (I understand using his statement in the article as an example of what some people say, Rabbi, but what I mean is that for me, a Jew, I couldn't care less what Russell Crowe thinks about bris milah.) Goodness...so let them keep their boys uncircumcized and leave us alone to bring our boys into the covenant.

(6)
Harriet B.,
July 3, 2011 6:53 PM

The anti-circumcision crowd is somewhat related to the anti-Kosher slaughter crowd.
But, if people want a reason for circumcision to counter, the anti people, you can tell them that it is cleaner.
Also, it can be done painlessly. Some mohels use numbing cream.

(5)
Isahiah62,
July 3, 2011 6:02 PM

Growing Judeophobia

I would like to add that using the word "mutilation" is a tactic of moral equivalence used by jewhaters to justify oppostion to Muslim female gential mutilation. These type always use the "well Jews do it too" arguments to oppose Islam. There is absolutley no comparison to removing a bit of foreskin to removing a woman's clitoris or labia to prevent sexual arousal. IN Africa some women have their labia sewn shut as well! Many die from infection.
Combined with recent efforts to eliminate kosher reminiscent of the Nurmeburg laws- these Judeophobia ideas are becoming quite the "thing to do". I like that you say - well we have never succumbed to fads, we stick to HIS laws. Now and forever. Amen

Deborah,
November 6, 2016 2:58 PM

Good point

Well said-- female genital mutilation is an unnatural act with NO health benefits, causing almost PERMANENT damage to the female genitalia.

Male circumcision is painful, but causes no damage to the function of the penis and has health benefits (although there may be some risks, as with all procedures). No comparison.

(4)
Anonymous,
July 3, 2011 5:19 PM

good article but...

goos article but it would have helped if you included one or more reasons why circumcision is important or good or necessary. one bit of education that we could use in our argument against those that want to prohibit it.

Monica,
July 5, 2011 4:18 PM

Importance is in being Jews

It's important to "US" as Jews, it's our covenant with G-d. Jews who are not proud to be Jews will need explanations. As the good rabbi wrote, any explanation is supreflous and will be rejected in the future by the hedonistic society.

(3)
Anonymous,
July 3, 2011 5:08 PM

beautiful piece - the last two paragraphs say it all

(2)
Pamela,
July 3, 2011 4:39 PM

Bris

When my Son had his Bris, he gave one tiny lilltle cry, and them slept peacefully for a good 4 hours before his next feed was due. I tell this ignorant people such as Russel Crowe , our Babies cried for agood ten minutes after the hospital staff did the Heel Prick , which they found very painful.
What the orthorities in San Francisco should be taking on board and stopping is the huge rate of Homosexuality in San Francisco which caused the huge increase in Aids around the world, which was originally passed by homosexuals. It is interresting , both are mentioned in the Torah , Hashem told the Jewish people , to circumcise all Jewish Boys at 8 days old, HE also said that Man lying with their own kind ( another man or animal ) is a Abomination. So the Authorities in San Fancisco should take this on board and stop this anti-semetic nonsence, , because that is what it is. I hope that people such as Russel Crowe will not need to be circumcided in the future because of a medical problem or any other of these idiots. It has also been found by the medical proffession that Wives of Circumcided Men very seldom get Cancer of the Womb, Aids, and any ohter nasty germs that live under the forskin, to pass on to Women ( or Men ) . And by the way , for these ignorant people, G-D only mentioned Boys in the Torah ( not Girls, that the Muslims do, which is a abomination )

Manzur Moidunny,
July 3, 2011 7:56 PM

As a Muslim, I know that female circumcision is not allowed for Muslims. Do not take cultural practices out of context. On the topic of this article I had no Idea so many people were not circumcised and ppl were against it. I had though getting boys circumcised would be the more safer practice in so many ways.

Counter,
July 6, 2011 4:00 PM

really?

95% of the women in Egypt have been circumcized-

Anonymous,
July 11, 2011 2:04 AM

True, but

That has nothing to do with Islam. Manzur is correct, it is strictly forbidden by Islam. On the contrary it's an Arab practice that arose mostly as a backlash to the perceived depravity of the Western lifestyle.

Esther,
July 4, 2012 9:19 AM

Many muslim girls from central Africa are mutilated even in the Netherlands

It's forbidden to 'circumcise' girls, but it's still done, either here in The Netherlands or in the home country. It's a problem.

(1)
Anonymous,
July 3, 2011 2:50 PM

health benefits proven

Latest UN efforts in Africa recommend circumcision to avoid AIDS. It seems that you have not read the latest medical news. Your article is wrong when you declare there are no medical benefits.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!